Intermittent feed mechanism for slicing-machines.



F. M. SCHAEFER.

INTERMITTENT FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICING MACHINES. APPLICAT-ION FILED n.Ec.9. 1909.

1,205,397. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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F. M. SCH-AEFER.

INTERMITTENT FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICINGMACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC-9, 1909.

1,205,397. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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F. M..SCHAEFER.

INTERMITTENT FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1909.

1 205,397. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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INTERMITTENT FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 9. I909.

' '1 205,397 Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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m: Noam: PETERS cm. rmrru-urna. wusnmcmu, 11 a UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrcE.

FRANK M. SCHAEFER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A-S SIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO G. S. BLAKESLEE & (10., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INTERMITTENT FEED MECHANISM FOR SLICING-MACHINE S.

Application filed December'B, 1909.

ful Improvements in Intermittent Feed Mechanism for Slicing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to slicing machines and particularly to machines for slicing meat, and its object is to provide a new and improved slicing machine by which the meat, supported on a reciprocating traveling bed, is carried to and fro past the cutter.

More specifically, it is one of the ob ects of my invention to provide new and 1mproved mechanism by which the bed or plate carrying the meat is reciprocated past and away from the cutter and by Wl'llCh 1t 1s automatically moved forward a desired and regulated distance to secure the next cut.

My invention has for a further object new and improved mechanism by which the amount of the forward movement of the reciprocating bed may be readily adjusted so as to make that automatic forward movement greater or less in order to make thicker or a thinnerslice.

Other objects of my invention are improvements in intermittent feed mechanism I for slicing mechanism hereinafter polnted out in detail and set forth in the claims. 7

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of my device from the side of the actuating wheel. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with part of the column cut away, seen from the left in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view. Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig- 2. Fig. 5 is a detail, being a section on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, being a vertical section on line 66 of Fig 4. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail, being a section on line 77 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail of the chain drive, being a section on line 88 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9isan enlarged deta1l,being a view of the apparatus for holdlng down the meat, partly in vertical section. Fig. 10 is a much enlarged detail, being a section on line 1010 of Fig. 9.

11 indicates a standard on which is mounted a bed-plate 12.

13 indicates a base which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured above the bed- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 532,222.

plate 12. 'This bed-plate is generally rectangular in form, and, as is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is in the form of a hollow casting within which are contained sundry parts hereinafter described.

14 14 indicate square guide bars which are mounted parallel with one another one upon each side of the base 13 and upon which thetraveling meat-support reciprocates. r i

15 indicates a rotary cutting knife which is circular and slightly hollowed, as is best shown in Fig. 2, and which is secured upon a suitable stud shaft 16 which is journaled upon a standard 17 extending upward from the base 13.

18 indicates a housing which is mounted on suitable supports 19 and the base 13, and serves to partially cover and protect the cutting edge of the cutter 15, as is best shown in Fig. 1.

20 indicatesa driving shaft which is journaled in suitable bearings below the inner surface of the base 13 and extends inward therein, as is bestshown in dotted lines in I Fig. 3.

21 indicates ahand=wheel which is secured upon the outer end of the shaft 20 and an upright shaft 24 journaled in a suitable bearing, as 25, below the inner upper surface of the base 13, preferably formed integral therewith, asis best shown in Fig. 5. The upper end of the shaft 24'is squared, as is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and upon the squared portion is mounted a crank26, best shown in, Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

27 indicates alink which is pivoted at I one end to the crank arm 26 and at the other end is pivotally connectedwith the traveling bed hereinafter described. When the shaft 20 is rotated, the vertical shaft 24 vwill be rotated throughthe medium of the with the gear 23, whereby, when the gear 23 is rotated through the hand-wheel, the shaft 28 will be rotated. Upon the outer end of the shaft 28 is secured a sprocket wheel 30 and upon the outer end of the shaft 16 is secured another sprocket wheel 31.

32 indicates a sprocket chain which conmeets the sprockets 30 and 31, all being inclosed in a suitable housing, as 33.

The rotation of the shaft 1-8 by means of the sprocket wheel 30, sprocket wheel 31, and sprocket chain 32, is communicated to the shaft '16, rotating the cutter 15.

34 indicates a reciprocating bed which, by means of suitable supports as 35 which are pierced to receive the side bars 14, is mounted upon the side bars 1% so as to slide back and forth longitudinally of said bars toward and away from the cutter. To the under surface of this reciprocating bed the link or pitman 27 is connected pivotally so that when the crank arm 26 is rotated the bed 31%. is reciprocated back and forth on the guides la. The reciprocating bed 34: carries the meat or other substance to be sliced, and to that end is provided with a series of corrugations 36, which assist in holding the meat firmly upon the reciprocating bed. The sides of the reciprocating bed 3% are provided with vertically-extending flanges 37 which project a short distance upward therefrom and are preferably formed integral therewith, and the inner surface of each of these flanges is provided with a longitudinal rounded groove 38, best shown in Fig. 6.

39 indicates a sliding plate or support which is adapted to slide between the flanges 37 over the traveling or reciprocating bed 34-. One side edge of the sliding plate is provided with a tongue 4-0 which rests within one of the rounded grooves 38 on the flange 3?. The other side of the sliding plate 39 is squared so as to bear upon the inner edge of the other flange 3? and is provided with a longitudinal groove a1 within which rests a removable key i2 whose projecting e lge is rounded, as is best shown in Fig. 6, so as to project within and engage the groove 38 upon the opposite flange. By means of this removable tongue. the parts may be readily assembled or taken apart, the he yielding inward and its rounded edge engaging the rounded groove, permitting the sliding plate to be lifted out by a relatively slight force and to be reinserted in the same way, and to that end the key 42 is preferably spring seated in the groove 4:1. by means of suitable springs, as 4-3.

in order to assist in the replacing and ren'ioval of the sliding plate, it is provided with handles indicate uprights which are secured to and project upwardly from the forward edge of the sliding plate 39, and

are respectively provided on their outer edges with a series of serrations 4L748.

49 indicates a trough-shaped crossbar which, by means of suitable slots in its upper surface, as 5051, moves up and down over the uprights i546 which pass through the said slots. 7

indicates a dog which is pivoted in the its sides. The crossbar 5% is provided with r a pair of vertical slots which engage pins 56 mounted in the crossbar a9, whereby the bar 54 may have limited movement relative to its supporting bar at 57 indicates a cam provided with a weighted handle 58 which is pivoted upon suitable supports above the cross bar 49 in registry with a slot 59 in the upper surface of said crossbar. The cam is adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the crossbar 5% and when the lever 58 is rocked into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9 the cam forces the bar 54: downward upon'the pins 56. The lower edges of the crossbar Mare provided with a series of points 60 which are adapted to engage the meat or other material to be sliced carried upon the traveling or reciprocating bed 3% so as to hold it firmly thereon. By pulling back the dog or latch 52 out of the serrations, the bar 49 and with it the bar 5%. may be adjusted vertically of said standards et5'l6 according to the thickness of the meat 'or other article it is desired to cut, and then held in place by the latch the bar, 5% being forced down into the meat or other article to hold it firmly by the cam 57, as above described.

(l1 .indi :ates a wheel which is secured to a short shaft (32 which is journaled in the upper surface of the base 13 and in a: suitable support, as 63, as is best shown in Fig. Upon the upper end of the shaft (32 is secured a gear (it (see Fig. 5 and dotted lines in Fig. 3) which engages with the teeth of a rack-bar secured upon the under surface of the plate 39. It is obvious that when the shaft 62 is rotated in one direction or the other, the gear 64 engaging the rack-bar 65 will cause the plate 39 to travel in one direction or the other on the reciprocating bed 3i,-that is, toward or away from the side of the machine upon which the cutter is located.

66 indicates a lever which is journaled upon the shaft 62 immediately below the wheel 61 between it and the support 63. The outer end of the lever 66 projects outward through a suitable opening inthe side of the machine and is provided with a handle 67. The inner end projects beyond theperiphery of the wheel 61 and carries pivoted upon it a clutch dog 68 which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by a spring 69 bearing at one end upon a support 70 on the lever and at the other end upon the surface of the clutch dog. The clutch dog is so constructed that when the lever is rocked to the left in Fig. 4 it will engage the periphery of the wheel 61 and rotate it in the direction indicated by the arrow on said figure, rotating with it of course the shaft 62 and the gear 64. Upon the lever 66 and a short distance away from the periphery of the wheel and between the shaft 62 and the outer end of the lever is mounted a sliding block 71, which is provided on its two surfaces with projecting studs 7273. The stud 78 which projects upward from its surface slides in a slot formed by two downwardly-projecting flanges 74-75 formed upon the under surface of the traveling bed 34 parallel with each other and with its edge, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The stud 72 projects downward from the slide block 71 and is adapted to engage a stop hereinafter described. 76 indicates a spring, one end of which is connected with the inner end of lever 66 and the other end to pin 77 projecting downward from the under surface of the reciprocating bed 34 and tending normally to hold the lever in the position shown in Fig. 4.

7 8 indicates an arm pivoted on the under surface of the traveling bed 84, and its outer end is normally held in yielding engagement with the periphery of the wheel 61 by a conipression spring 79 which causes said arm to act as a brake upon the wheel 61 to prevent its free rotation unless positively actuated.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6 where the following parts are best shown, 80 indicates a rod which is secured within the base 13 a short distance below its inner surface, one end being secured to the end of the base 13 and the other end to a suitable projection, as 81, projecting downward from the inner surface of the top of the base. 82 indicates a rack-bar which, by means of an arm 83 and an arm 84, which are suitably pierced to receive the bar 80, is adapted to travel longitudinally of the bar 80. 85 indicates a shaft which is journaled in the base 13 by means of suitable supports and whose outer end, projecting slightly beyond the outside of one side of the base 13, carries an arm 86 secured thereto. The upper end of the arm 86 is provided with a pointer 87 which moves over a circular scale 88 and also carries a pin 89 whose inner end is pointed, as is best shown in Fig. 4, and is adapted to engage any one of the series of holes 90 below the curved scale 88 so as to hold the pointer in any desired set position. Upon the inner end of the shaft 85, in registry with the rack-bar 82, is secured a multilated gear 91 which engages the rack-bar 82 so that by the rotation of the shaft 85 by swinging the pointer 86 in one direction or the other the gear 91 is rotated and the rack-bar slid in one direction or the other longitudinally of the rod 80. The upper end of the stop 84 on the rack-bar 82 projects upward into the path of the pin 7 2 on the slide-block 71. The moving of the rack-bar 82 by the shaft 85 through the pointer 86 varies the position of the stop 84 so that in the backward movement of the lever, caused by the return reciprocation of the riciprocating bed 84, the stud 72 may be brought into contact with the stop 84 at difierent positions. hen the reciprocating bed 34 is carried forward for the slicing of the meat,that is to say, toward the cutting knife,the wheel 61 and lever 66 are simply carried forward with it, the stud 73 sliding between the flanges 7%? 5 and without altering the relative positions of the parts. On the backward movement of the reciprocating bed away from the cutter, all of the above parts move back with it without changing their relative positions until the stud 7 2 comesinto contact with the stop 84. The stop 84 being held in fixed position with the rack 82 by means of the pin 89 on the pointer 86 engaging one of the holes 90, as soon as the stud 72 comes into contact with the stop 84 the further backward movement of the end of the lever 66 which carries the stud is prevented. The further backward movement of the bed therefore operates to rock the lever 66 relatively to its pivotal point and to swing it relatively to the wheel 61 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. This causes the clutch dog 68 to engage the periphery of the wheel 61 and to rotate the wheel 61 in the direction of the arrow thereon in Fig. 4, during the remainder of the backward reciprocation of the reciprocating bed. As has been explained above, this rotation of the wheel rotates the shaft 62 and the gear 64 in the direction shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 3 and consequently moves the rack-bar 65 and with it the plate 39 upon the reciprocating bed toward the side of the machine on which the cutter is mounted, thereby pushing the meat which is held between the uprights 4546, as above described, forward upon the reciprocating bed so as to bring a new portion of the meat into line with the cutter to be sliced in the next forward reciprocation of the bed.

It will be obvious from the above description that the point at which the stud 7 2 comes into contact with the stop 84 will depend upon the position of the stop 84 and the rack-bar 82 on the bar 80, and the position of the rack-bar 82 on the bar is regulated by turning the shaft by means of the pointer 86, as above described, and locking it in any desired position by means of the pointed pin 89 engaging the holes 90. The sooner the stud 72 comes into contact with the stop Set in the backward reciprocation of the reciprocating bed, the sooner the wheel 61 will begin its rotation and the farther the rack-bar 65 and the plate. 39 will be moved forward, and the thicker will be the slice cut from the meat. On the other hand, the later the stud 72 comes into contact with the stop 8% in the backward reciprocation of the reciprocating bed, the shorter will be the movement of the rackbar 65 and plate 39 and the thinner will be the slice of meat cut. This is all regulated and nicely adjusted by the adjustment of the pointer upon the curved gage. At each backward reciprocation of the reciprocating bed, the meat will be pushed forward by the amount desired for the thickness of the slice, and by each forward reciprocation the slice will be out, and by the mere turning' of the handle of the drive wheel the machine will automatically slice the meat until it is completely sliced.

While my invention is designed particularly for use in slicing machines for slicing meat, etc., it is also applicable to other machines in which it is desirable to advance the material to be operated upon toward a cutter, and the claims hereinafter madeare,

therefore, to be construed accordingly.

for imparting to said rotatable element an intermittent rotation when said reciprocatmg member reclprocates, a rock-shaft, and connections whereby the position of said stationary element may be adjusted by rocking said rock-shaft.

2. A feeding element for slicing machines of the type described, comprising a. reciprocating" member, a rotatable element supported by said reciprocating member, means including an adjustable stationary element for imparting to said rotatable element an in termittent rotation when said reciprocating member reciprocates, a rock-shaft, connections whereby the position of said stationary element may be adj llSt-eCl by rocking said rock-shaft, an arm carried by said rockshaft for rocking the same, and means for locking said arm in different positions.

FRANK M. SCHAEFER.

Witnesses V JOHN L. JACKSON, MINNIE C. HUNT-En.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D G. 

